Cinnamon Rolls

Pretty aren't they? Maybe the most beautiful thing I've ever pulled out of the oven. 

And I mean yeast is pure magic.

Cinnamon Rolls:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. salt
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 pack instant yeast
• 2 eggs

In a small saucepan warm milk with butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until butter is melted.

Add to yeast in a large bowl. Add half the flour and mix until smooth, add eggs one at a time, smoothing between additions. 

Measure out the remaining 2 and a half cups of flour and pour some onto a clean work surface, turn out dough and knead in the rest of the flour. 

If you have an electric mixer with a dough hook you may use that for the entirety of this process, if not DO NOT, (I repeat), DO NOT use a hand mixer. Dough gets stuck INSIDE it. I'm trying to help you here, learning from my mistakes :) 

Once all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth, let it rest for about an hour somewhere warm in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with a tea towel. 

Once doubled in size punch it down.

Flour your work surface and the rolling pin, try your best to roll the dough out into a 18 x 12 inch rectangle, the thinner the better. 

Filling:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1+ cups of brown sugar
• lots of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup crushed pecans (if you want)

Smooth (I used a spatula) butter over dough leaving one inch on one long side bare. 

Sprinkle over brown sugar using your fingers to spread evenly, then cover in cinnamon and pecans. 

Roll from the covered long end towards the bare end. Slice using a serrated knife every three inches or so. 

Nestle into a lightly oiled baking tray, cover with a tea towel and let rest somewhere warm until doubled again. 

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. I baked mine on "convection" so it only took 23 minutes. You're looking for golden brown. Magic.

Glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla

Once out of the oven you can be impatient like me and smother them in glaze. 

Soak it up!

You may now devour them like this OR you can add a little extra something ;)

CREAM CHEESE ICING:

• 1/2 pack of softened cream cheese
• 1/2 -1 cup icing sugar
•  a splash of milk and a splash of cream 

Whisk all until blended and delicious, start with less sugar and taste as you go, they're pretty sweet!

I did this by hand because my hand mixer was out of commission from the dough incident. 

Double the recipe, bring a pan to friends, work or someone extra special <3

Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs, Tomato and Avocado :)

A sunny breakfast on a rainy day!
It's been Newfoundland-like foggy here recently and since there is no ocean I feel there is no excuse for Ontario to be so gloomy. No excuse.

To combat the gloominess a delicious breakfast was in order!

Quinoa cakes are simple enough, you follow the same idea as fish cake or even hamburgers (from before I went veg), you start with the quinoa, add in some flavour, use an egg to bind and breadcrumbs to soak up an excess moisture. Top it with juicy ripe tomato slices, some creamy avocado, a poached egg and you're golden :)

You need:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• a chopped green onion
• a minced clove of garlic
• an egg
• breadcrumbs (a little handful, add more if you're having trouble forming them)
• salt & pepper & cayenne (fo' heat!)

Mix!

Get a frying pan on medium heat, add some olive oil, form into cakes using a handful (or so) of the mixture and fry until golden (3-5 minutes per side).

MEANWHILE! Have a saucepan with 2 inches of water simmering over high heat, add a splash of vinegar (magic), give the water a swirl and crack your egg right in (or crack into into a little dish first and pour it in that way). Wait a couple minutes (using a slotted spoon pull it out and poke the yolk with your finger, if it's very soft/squishy you have a soft poached egg), remove with a slotted spoon and place on top of your golden quinoa cake, tomato and avocado slices. 

Enjoy the sunshine-y feeling and avoid checking the weather forecast (cause it's not gettin' better). 

Terry's Chocolate Orange Tart

Need I say more? 

This is the dessert I made for Christmas dinner, inspired entirely by my family's stockings. We alwaaaays  get the delicious chocolate oranges, so I used a half milk and half dark one. 

If you like the combination of chocolate and orange and are in the mood for something decadent, this is the tart for you. 

• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup flour

Cream butter and sugar, stir in vanilla and flour and press into a tart pan. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

• 1 Terry's Chocolate Orange (I used half milk and half dark)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/6 cup sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk

Bring sugar, cream and milk to a boil and pour over chopped chocolate (in a bowl). Whisk egg and yolk in a bowl and slowly pour hot cream and chocolate over (while whisking). Pour into baked tart shell and bake at 325 F for 20-30 minutes until set.

Chill for an hour!